“They are rebel Astartes； my lord； and I have lost all contact with the demi…legions。 We leave；
now；” he said； brooking no argument。
Polio felt a sense of panic stab at him； though he was careful to maintain a calm exterior。 He felt
the flush of amasec clouding his mind； and he cursed himself for drinking so much。 He licked his
lips； and nodded to the captain。
With clipped commands； the soldiers fell in around the guildmaster； and the group marched back
into the senior official’s office。 The captain was steering Polio forcefully by the elbow； moving him
quickly towards the reinforced door that led to his personal shuttle。
“My records；” protested the guildmaster。
“I’ll get them； my lord；” said Leto。
“No；” snapped the Skyllan guard captain； “we leave now。”
“My data…slate； Leto；” hissed the guildmaster； and his adjutant swept the book…sized piece of
arcane technology up off his master’s desk as he was hurried past。
The captain whispered the requisite prayer to the machine god as he entered the code sequence
into the door； and the circular locks slid anticlockwise with a hiss。 The soldiers lowered their visors
to cover their faces at a nod from their superior。 Then the captain leant his weight against the door。
It opened with a groan and snow billowed into the office； driven through the portal by the deafening
gale outside。
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Guildmaster Polio covered his face with his arm as the biting chill struck him； and he took an
involuntary step backwards。
Three soldiers moved out onto the landing platform； their lasguns panning left and right。
Pointless； thought Polio。 No enemy could be up here。
His personal Aquila…class lander was perched some twenty metres away； covered in a thick layer
of snow。 The guard captain pulled an exquisite pistol of ornate design from his holster； and began
guiding Polio out onto the landing platform。
The cold was almost unbearable； and ice crystals formed instantly on his eyebrows and lips。 His
eyes stung from the cold； and even breathing was painful。
One of his guards； out in front； reached the shuttle and slammed his fist into an activation panel。
Instantly； the embarkation ramp began to lower。
With his head down； Guildmaster Polio allowed himself to be hurried towards the waiting
shuttle； his boots slipping on the ice…slick landing pad。 The captain supporting him shouted
something； but he couldn’t make it out over the roar of the wind。
Burias…Drak’shal grinned in feral anticipation as he stared down at the men ten metres below him；
battling against the gale as they made their way towards the shuttle。
He dropped down amongst them and landed in a crouch； rockcrete cracking beneath the impact。
A soldier was a step behind and to his left； and he swung around； taking the man in the head with
one of his massive； fused talons。 The force of the blow slammed the soldier into the rockcrete wall；
his skull pulverised； Burias…Drak’shal’s buried talon thirty centimetres into the rock。
Ripping the talon free； letting the soldier slump to the ground； he spun and lashed out with a
backhanded blow that ripped across the throat of another soldier as he turned towards the possessed
warrior； lasgun raised。
The man’s throat was ripped open to the spine； and he spun； blood fountaining from the mortal
wound。
Something hot splashed the back of Guildmaster Polio’s head； and he stumbled and fell to one knee。
As the captain hauled him back to his feet； he reached up and touched a hand to his head。 He stared
blankly for a second at the fresh blood on his hands； before turning to look back the way he had
come。
A daemonic beast from the deepest pits of hell had dropped down behind them。
Its bulk was immense； more than three times that of a normal man； and its lips curled back to
expose the barbed teeth of the ultimate predator。 Two men lay dead at its feet。
The captain saw the beast just as the guildmaster did； and he shouted a warning； pushing Polio
roughly towards the shuttle as he raised his pistol。
Another man died before the pistol fired； as the daemon punched a claw up through the soldier’s
sternum。
The blow lifted the soldier off his feet； and the daemon’s talons emerged from his back。 With a
dismissive sweep of its arm； the daemon hurled the man off the landing pad； disappearing in the gale
to fall the three hundred metres to the base of the bastion。
The captain’s pistol boomed； but Polio did not wait to see if he had felled the beast。 Terror
coursing through him； he half…ran； half…stumbled towards the lowering ramp leading into his shuttle；
his heart beating wildly。
The guard standing by the shuttle had his lagsun raised to his shoulder； and he fired past Polio
twice before running up the ramp to initiate the launch。 Polio heard several more shots as the other
remaining guards brought their weapons to bear； and he paused at the foot of the embarkation ramp
to look back。 He saw his adjutant crawling towards him on all fours； blood splattered across his
terrified face。
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Without thinking of his own safety he ran to the young man。 As he helped him up to his feet；
Polio looked back through the swirling snow。
Another man was down； his head ripped from his shoulders； and the captain was backing away
from the daemonic beast stalking towards him。 His pistol boomed； but the beast swayed its head to
the side with preternatural speed； and the shot hissed past its face。
The captain risked a glance behind him； and his eyes locked onto the guildmaster’s。
“Go！” shouted the captain； though his voice was lost in the roaring wind。
“Watch out！” roared Polio at the same time； for the beast had sprung forwards as soon as the
captain had taken his eyes off it。
Leto scrambled past his master； clambering up the ramp into the interior of the shuttle； but Polio
was locked in place； staring in horror at the daemon as it leapt at the captain of his guard。
The soldier staggered backwards and pumped three shots into the daemon as it bore down on
him。 The first shots hit the monster in the chest and the gorget； ricocheting uselessly off its bloodred
armour； but the third shot struck it in the cheek； shattering bone。
It fell with a roar of anger before the captain； and the soldier levelled his pistol at the back of its
horned head。 Before he could squeeze the trigger； the beast was up and moving； and one of its
immense clawed hands closed around the captain’s arm。 The pistol boomed； but its aim had been
skewed； and the bullet glanced off the beast’s skull。
The captain screamed in pain and fell to his knees as the bones in his arm were shattered； and the
beast loomed over him； its visage twisted in fury。 Blood dripped from its wounds； bubbling and
hissing as it struck the snow。
Opening its mouth impossibly wide； it lunged down； its jaws clamping around either side of the
captain’s head。
His eyes wide with terror； Polio staggered backwards。 His movements attracted the attention of
the beast； and it swung its burning gaze towards him； the captain’s head still locked in its jaws。 It
clamped its mouth shut； and the soldier’s head cracked like a nut in vice。
It dropped its lifeless prey to the ground and leapt towards Polio； closing the distance with
shocking swiftness； bounding towards him on all fours like an ape。 Turning； Polio ran。
The engines of the Aquila lander were roaring； and for a moment he thought he would make it。
He saw Leto at the top of the ramp； frantically urging him on with beckoning waves of his hands；
and he scrambled up the ramp into the shuttle。
A stink akin to rotting meat and the acrid stench of electricity reached his nostrils； and a hand
close around the back of his head。 With a jerk； he was hurled backwards； skidding down the ramp to
fall in a crumpled heap at its base。
One of his arms was broken； and he cried out as splinters of bone grated against each other。 He
saw Leto at the top of the ramp quaking before the immense daemon just before the adjutant was
ripped in two by the beast。
Polio tried to rise to his feet； the muscles and tendons of his back protesting； but he fell in a
crumpled heap once more in the blood…splattered snow。
The daemon turned back towards him and stalked down the ramp； and Polio scrambled back
away from the monster； the heels of his boots slipping in the ice and snow。
Burias…Drak’shal felt the terror of the Imperial official wash over him like an intoxicating wave； and
he relished the sensation。 He wanted to kill the man； slowly and excruciatingly； but the rational side
of his mind knew that such a thing would anger Marduk； for his order had been clear。
He grinned as the man scrambled back away from him； a pathetic and futile attempt to escape。
With sheer force of will； he pushed Drak’shal back； and his features were once again his own；
pristine and unmarred； the bullet wound on his cheek already healed。 Blood caked his mouth and
chin； and he smiled at the man as he stepped towards him。
49
The engines of the shuttle roared behind him and the ramp began to close； and Burias swung his
head around； Drak’shal instantly rearing within him once more。
“Let none escape；” Marduk had ordered。
Burias…Drak’shal turned and leapt onto the shuttle； his talons biting deep into the reinforced hull。
He hauled himself hand over hand onto its top； and bounded across its fuselage until he was
positioned above the cockpit。
The shuttle began to lift just as the pilot registered the shadow looming above him； and Burias…
Drak’shal punched his fist through the glass； grabbing the man around his throat。 With one swift
motion he ripped the man’s throat away。
The shuttle tilted suddenly to the side； its landing gear scraping against rock as the dying pilot
fell across the controls。 Burias…Drak’shal bounded across the top of the shuttle as it slid over the
edge of the landing pad； its engines sending it into a death spin。
He hurled himself across the growing gap and landed in a crouch as the shuttle slammed into the
body of the aquila eagle…structure thirty metres below； and empted into a ball of fire。
He shook his head as he saw the wounded Imperial commander frantically punching a code into
the reinforced door that led back into the building； and bounded after the man。
The commande